The acceleration of a projectile in the barrel of a rifle, shotgun or handgun results in a reaction force, or recoil, imparted to the weapon and ultimately to the shooter. As the projectile is accelerated along the barrel and exits the muzzle of the weapon, high pressure gases escaping behind the projectile contribute to the recoil force. It is well known in the prior art to redirect these expanding gases as the projectile nears the muzzle; the direction of these redirected gases is generally inclined toward the weapon/shooter thus resulting in a counter-recoil force. It is well known that the reduction in recoil force may render the discharging of the firearm more pleasant for the shooter and perhaps contribute to the shooter's capability to handle and accurately discharge the firearm.
It is also well known in the prior art that the redirection of escaping gases from the bore of a firearm may be non-symmetrically directed such that ports positioned to guide escaping gases may selectively be positioned to provide a downward as well as a forward reactionary force. That is, particularly with regard to handguns, the muzzle of the gun has a tendency to rise upon a discharge thus making second or subsequent discharges difficult to be properly aimed at a target. The directing of escaping gases upwardly as well as toward the shooter may result in forces countering the “muzzle jump” to thus permit easier acquisition of target sighting for subsequent discharges.
Various designs of muzzle brakes, sometimes referred to as compensators, have been proposed in the prior art. Expanding gases are usually redirected by positioning ports communicating with the bore of the weapon to the atmosphere; therefore, as high pressure gases follow the projectile along the bore, they reach the strategically positioned ports and escape through the ports to the atmosphere. As stated previously, the axes of these ports are inclined with respect to the bore axis to provide the counter-recoil force. As the gases escape to the atmosphere, the pressure acting upon the projectile approaching the muzzle is lowered thus reducing the force that is causing the acceleration of the projectile and thus somewhat reducing the muzzle velocity. However, the design of the muzzle brake including the positioning of the ports can result in the production of counter-recoil forces that effectively reduce the recoil of the firearm upon discharge without adversely affecting the muzzle velocity of the projectile. It is therefore important that the muzzle brake design produce an effective counter recoil force without adversely affecting the velocity or accuracy of the projectile.